I only work occasionally in Magalleria, and even less now the wonderful Libby has joined us. This means I’m not so well versed on all the magazines when I am here, but I continue to bluff my ignorance by declaring that I’m the food, drink and travel person. So it falls to me to mention a couple of recent food magazines.
Lucky Peach was a favourite of mine in pre-Magalleria days so I was really sorry to hear that a fallout among the owners means that the Lucky Peach winning streak was coming to an end. The current issue on suburban American food is the last we’re going to see, other than a final ‘crazy double issue’.
The suburbs issue reminds me of a time (before so-called ‘dirty food’) when American snacks and junk food were so fashionable that they were stocked in Harvey Nichols! Friends visiting America would bring us back sauces and condiments. The food stories and features in this issue are so familiar to me from films and TV. They include recipes from a Minnesota pot luck (Snickers Salad anyone?), images of public eating spaces in out of the way places by photographer Ashley Gates (check her instagram @cosmopsis) and a review of 'wines for moms' (they are not all as bad as you might think).
'Although it’s been a while coming, I don't think it's a stretch to say that Sabor is well-timed compensation for the outgoing Lucky Peach.'
Also in this week is Sabor, the second issue of an impressive food magazine from The Netherlands we first came across at the end of 2015. Although it’s been a while coming, I don't think it's a stretch to say that Sabor is well-timed compensation for the outgoing Lucky Peach. It has the same contagious curiousity, a similar emphasis on sophisticated illustration, and while it’s not as offbeat as Lucky Peach it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and, even putting aside its mammoth 282 pages, it feels as though it has much more dimension than many other food magazines.
This issue looks at the future of food. The cover, impressively illustrated by Chris Skinner, looks forward to a time when we will be leaving the suburbs to buy algae dogs, burgers and shakes from space helmeted vendors in dark dystopian cities. I enjoyed a series of short essays on food based experiences and was surprised and thrilled to discover an article about Rod Stewart swigging Blue Nun from the bottle by David Hepworth. I’m sure even the mom wines are a better bet.
Sabor's tagline is 'Arbiter of All Things Gastronomic' and there’s a lot to read and see in this substantial magazine, including in-depth features and reportage, interviews, recipes, lots of science and the already mentioned photo essays. Everything I have read so far has been very thoughtful – I’m going to stop to digest it all and put the rest aside for later…
Susan Greenwood
http://www.saborjournal.com/
http://luckypeach.com/